Custis (Family : Virginia)

English: The Custis family of Virginia was an eastern Virginia family influential in politics and civic life between the seventeenth and the nineteenth centuries.

John Custis was born August 1678 in Northampton County, Virginia, and was educated in England. He lived in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he served as a vestryman for Bruton Parish. Custis was also successful planter, merchant, colonel in the Virginia militia, burgess, and member of the Governor's Council. He married Frances Parke (1687-1715) in August 1705. His son, Daniel Parke Custis was born 15 October 1710 in James City County. He was a successful planter in New Kent County, Virginia, and served as a vestryman for St. Peter's Parish in New Kent County. He married Martha Dandridge (2 June 1731-22 May 1802) in 15 May 1750 and they had 4 children. Custis died 5 July 1757. After his death, Martha Dandridge Custis married George Washington (1732-1799) 6 January 1759.

Biographical Note
George Washington Parke Custis
Date Event
1781, Apr. 30 Born, Mount Airy, Md.
1799 Aide-de-camp to General Charles C. Pinckney, U.S. Army
1804 Married Mary Lee Fitzhugh
1812 Volunteer in defense of Washington, D.C., during the War of 1812
1824 Began publishing "Conversations with Lafayette" in the Alexandria Gazette during the Marquis de Lafayette's visit to the United States
1826 Began publishing "Recollections of Washington" in the United States Gazette
1827 Produced first play, The Indian Prophecy, performed at the Chestnut Street Theater, Philadelphia, Pa.
1830 Produced Pocahontas, or the Settlers of Virginia, performed at the Walnut Street Theater, Philadelphia, Pa.
1833 Produced North Point, or Baltimore Defended, performed in Baltimore, Md.
1834 Produced The Eighth of January, performed at the Park Theater in New York, N.Y.
1857, Oct. 10 Died, Arlington House, Fairfax County, Va.
Arthur Lee
Date Event
1740, Dec. 20 Born, Stratford Hall, Westmoreland County, Va.
1764 M.D., University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
1766 Elected fellow, Royal Society
Returned to America
Practiced medicine, Williamsburg, Va.
1768 Settled in London, England
Published "Moniter" letters. Virginia Gazette, William Rind, ed., 25 Feb.-28 Apr.
1769-1774 Published "Junius Americanus" letters. London Evening Post, R. Nutt, ed., and London Gazetteer, Charles Say, ed., 17 July 1769-6 Jan. 1772, and London Public Advertiser, H. S. Woodfall, ed., June 1772-Mar. 1774
1770 Assistant to Benjamin Franklin, agent for Massachusetts in England and France
1770-1774 Studied law, Lincoln's Inn and Middle Temple, London, England
1774 Published An Appeal to the Justice and Interests of the People of Great Britain in the Present Dispute with America. London, England: John Almon
1775 Admitted to bar, London, England
Agent for Massachusetts in England and France
Confidential correspondent, Continental Congress Committee of Secret Correspondence, London, England
Published A Second Appeal to the Justice and Interests of the People on the Measures Respecting America by the Author of the First. London, England: n.p.
1776 Appointed, with Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane, to negotiate a treaty with France
1777 Appointed commissioner to Spain, succeeding Benjamin Franklin
1780 Returned to America
1781-1782 Member, Virginia House of Delegates
1782-1785 Member, Continental Congress
1784-1789 Commissioner, U.S. Treasury
1785-1786 Member, Virginia House of Delegates
1792, Dec. 12 Died, Lansdowne, Middlesex County, Va.
Charles Lee
Date Event
1758, July Born, Fauquier County, Va.
1775 A.B., College of New Jersey, Princeton, N.J.
1777-1789 Naval officer of South Potomac
1789 Married Anne Lee
1789-1793 Collector, Port of Alexandria, Va.
1793-1795 Member, Virginia General Assembly
1794 Admitted to Pennsylvania bar
1795-1801 U.S. attorney general
1801 Judge, circuit court
1802 Returned to private law practice
1815, June 24 Died, Fauquier County, Va.
Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee
Date Event
1756, Jan. 29 Born, Leesylvania, Prince William County, Va.
1773 Graduated, College of New Jersey, Princeton, N.J.
1776 Captain, Theodorick Bland's regiment, Virginia Cavalry
1778 Major, Continental Army
1779 Captured 160 British soldiers, Paulus Hook, N.Y.
1780 Promoted to lieutenant colonel
1781 Present at Siege of Yorktown and surrender of General Charles Cornwallis
1782 Married Matilda Lee
1785 Member, Virginia House of Delegates
1785-1788 Member, Continental Congress
1789-1791 Member, Virginia House of Delegates
1792-1795 Governor of Virginia
1793 Married Anne Hill Carter
1794 Commanded troops that put down the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania
1798 Commissioned major general
1799-1801 Member, U.S. House of Representatives
1800 Discharged, U.S. Army
1808 Imprisoned for debt
1812 Published Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States. Philadelphia, Pa.: Bradford & Inskeep
1814 Went to the West Indies
1818, Mar. 25 Died, Cumberland Island, Ga.
Richard Bland Lee
Date Event
1761, Jan. 20 Born, Leesylvania, Prince William County, Va.
1784-1788 Member, Virginia House of Delegates
1789-1795 Member, U.S. House of Representatives
1794 Married Elizabeth Collins
1796, 1799-1806 Member, Virginia House of Delegates
1815 Moved to Washington, D.C.
1816 Appointed commissioner of claims for property destroyed during War of 1812
1819-1827 Judge, Orphans' Court, Washington, D.C.
1827, Mar. 12 Died, Washington, D.C.
Richard Henry Lee
Date Event
1732, Jan. 20 Born, Stratford Hall, Westmoreland County, Va.
1743-1752 Attended Wakefield Academy, Yorkshire, England
1752 Returned to Virginia
1757 Married Anne Aylett (died 1768)
1758-1776 Member, Virginia House of Burgesses
1763 Instrumental in founding the Mississippi Company
1766 Signed Westmoreland Resolutions against the Stamp Act
1769 Married Anne Gaskins Pinckard
1774-1779 Member, Continental Congress
Served on Secret Committee of Commerce
1776 Introduced resolution in Continental Congress for American independence from Great Britain
1780-1784 Member, Virginia House of Delegates
1784-1787 Member and president, Continental Congress
1789-1792 Member, U.S. Senate
1794, June 19 Died, Chantilly, Westmoreland County, Va.
Robert Edward Lee
Date Event
1807, Jan. 19 Born, Stratford Hall, Westmoreland County, Va.
1829 Graduated, United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
1831 Married Mary Randolph Custis
1837-1841 Superintending engineer, St. Louis, Mo.
1846-1848 Served in Mexican War under General Winfield Scott
1852-1855 Superintendent, United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
1859 Commanded forces that put down John Brown's raid, Harpers Ferry, Va.
1861 Resigned from the U.S. Army
1862 Appointed commander, Army of Northern Virginia
1865 General-in-chief, Confederate armies
Surrendered, Appomattox Court House, Va.
1866-1870 President, Washington College (now Washington and Lee University), Lexington, Va.
1870, Oct. 12 Died, Lexington, Va.
William Lee
Date Event
1739, Aug. 31 Born, Stratford Hall, Westmoreland County, Va.
1761-1763 Studied in England
1763 Secretary, Mississippi Company
1763-1766 Resided in Barbados, West Indies
1766 Signed Westmoreland Resolutions against the Stamp Act
1768 Merchant and financier, London, England
1769 Married Hannah Philippa Ludwell (died 1784)
1769-1770 With firm of DeBerdt & Sayre, then self-employed
1773 Elected sheriff, London, England
1775 Elected alderman, Aldgate ward, London, England
1777 Appointed American commercial agent, France
1778 U.S. commissioner to Berlin, Germany, and Vienna, Austria
Negotiated an unauthorized treaty with Holland
1779 Recalled by Congress
Settled in Brussels, Belgium
1780 Resigned as alderman, London, England
1783 Returned to Virginia
1795, June 27 Died, Greenspring, James City County, Va.
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee
Date Event
1837, May 31 Born, Arlington House, Washington, D.C. (now Arlington County, Va.)
1857 Graduated, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
Entered U.S. Army
1859 Married Charlotte Wickham
1861 Appointed major of cavalry, Confederate States Army
1862 Promoted to brigadier general, Confederate States Army
Served in Fredericksburg and Gettysburg campaigns
1863 Captured and imprisoned by Union Army
1864 Released from Union prison
1865 Second in command of Confederate cavalry, Appomattox, Va.
1867 Married Mary Tabb Bolling
1875-1879 Member, Virginia state senate
1887-1891 Member, U.S. House of Representatives
1891, Oct. 15 Died, Ravensworth, Alexandria County, Va.
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